


Damaged Brains

by bro_average



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Anger, Brain Damage, Can be seen as just friends, Friendship/Love, Internal Conflict, Light Angst, M/M, One Shot, Season/Series 16
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 06:40:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15479823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bro_average/pseuds/bro_average
Summary: In which Grif goes to check on Wash after Carolina breaks the news.





	Damaged Brains

**Author's Note:**

> Skeet skeet what is this

When Wash walks off, there’s a pang in Grif’s chest. A pang that he does not like, and he knows that there’s a pang in Washington that hurts even worse. And he wants to help with that.

No one had moved, after Wash and them found out. No one but Carolina, who only seemed to go sulk in a corner. Grif decided to change that. He needs to find Wash, needs to make sure that he is okay.

Setting his gun down, he strides in the direction the ex-freelancer had left from. He isn’t sure why he’s doing this, why he cares enough to go out of his way to see if the other man is okay. But Washington is his friend, and friends look out of each other. At least… they should.

“Where are you going?” Grif stops, looking back as he sees Tucker staring at him. His eyes travel over the rest of his friends. He wants to help them too, but, they have each other. Washington has no one, not right now at least.

“I’m going to check on Wash.” No other way to put it. Someone needs to, and he might as well be the one doing it sense no one else will. Yeah… that’ll be the only reason he’ll admit.

“I honestly don’t think he wants to be around anyone right now, Grif.” Simmons pipes up, but Grif knows Simmons is smart enough to know that he’s going to go anyways. Even if the ex-freelancer doesn’t want to bothered.

“Yeah well, that’s too bad, isn’t it?” Grif replies, not looking for an answer as he turns around and continues his quest. He shouldn’t care about this. He shouldn’t care this much about Wash. And no matter how many times he says the man is only his friend, he knows that there is something more to them. Something more than friendship. But that’s not the point. The point is that Wash needs a friend right now, and Grif is determined to give him that.

Finding him isn’t too difficult. When you get to know the man, he can be pretty predictable. And Agent Washington is one of those predictable guys that goes on walks to clear his mind. Personally, Grif thinks that’s fucking stupid. When he wants to clear his mind he sleeps. Sleep helps everything. Or pizza. God… he misses pizza.

But he can’t blame the man for enjoying it, especially if it helps him. As he predicted though, finding Wash wasn’t the hard part. Catching up to him though… that’s a different story.

It takes about five seconds for Wash to notice he’s following behind him. But not even five minutes for Grif to call out for the other man to at least _slow down._ Just because he walked across Italy doesn’t mean that he walked _fast._

“What do you want, Grif?” Although Wash’s tone is impertinent, he does slow down enough for the orange soldier to catch up to him. Grif counts that as a win. It’s a start at least… and he can’t help but wonder if Wash would slow down for anyone else. He likes the thought of that not being the case, even though he knows he shouldn’t think that way.

“I, uh… wanted to talk.” He wishes he didn’t put his gun down, he doesn’t know what to do with his hands. God, he feels like some awkward school girl talking to their crush. Shaking his head, he keeps his hands to his sides. Out of sight out of mind, right?

“I don’t.” The ex-freelancer says plainly. His voice sounds emotionless and cold, like all those years ago when he was working with the Meta. Grif doesn’t like that. Not one bit. And he is set on changing that. Wash is a person, with emotions and feelings. Not some robot.

“Listen, Wash. I know you’re hurt right now. But we seriously had no idea about anything.” He needs to make sure Washington understands that before they get any further. Carolina had admitted to not telling anybody, but Wash could’ve been so angry that he didn’t hear. Or something. He just needs to be certain.

“I know, I heard Carolina,” Wash continues his sentence with a slight snarl, spiteness in his tone. “I have brain damage, I’m not deaf.”

“Dude…” Grif doesn’t really know what to say. And if he did, he wouldn’t know how to say it. He searches for the right words to say. But thankfully Wash seems to save him from the internal and external embarrassment.

“I just… don't understand why she didn't tell me. She should've told me.” The ex-freelancers voice cracks. Making Grif hope to whatever god there is that he doesn't start crying. He wouldn't know what to do if Agent goddamn Washington started to cry. If the man could even cry is another thing…

Grif is grateful that Washington doesn’t end up crying. However he still isn’t sure how he feels about this whole situation. Washington seems to flip like a light switch. Like a blink of the eye and suddenly the ex-freelancer is _pissed._

“I don’t get it! I had every fucking right to know! It’s my brain damage, not hers!” Grif could snap his fingers and it still wouldn’t be quick enough as Wash abruptly punches the wall on the left of him. Grif is glad he’s not that wall.

The ex-freelancer grows silent again, Grif thinks that means that he’s done talking. Deciding not to speak up, he figures Wash enjoys the silence as they walk together. Grif thinks he might enjoy it too, not necessarily the walking. Or the situation. But everything else is… nice.

“Hey, Grif?” The orange soldier glances at Wash, his tone is more calm now. If not a little sad, which is understandable. But damn, he hadn’t noticed until now how quick Washington flies through emotions. It must be either a freelancer or blue team thing. Grif decides not to speak, instead making a noise showing that he heard the other man.

“I… thank you for talking to me. I really needed that.” Grif smiles slightly, glad that he helped in some way. Even though all he really did was walk with the ex-freelancer. Maybe that was just what Wash needed though.

“It’s no problem dude, it’s what friends are for.” They fall back into comfortable silence, but Grif can’t help but wonder something. Is Wash going to ignore him after this? Are things going to just continue like nothing happened? Maybe they’ll grow closer as friends… or something more?

Grif can’t help these thoughts. But once Washington intertwines their hands together, everything changes. Everything going through his head seems to fade away. A soft smile spreads across his face as he thinks, _‘Everything is going to turn out okay.’_

Or so he thinks.

**Author's Note:**

> It's trash but hey, it's something. Anyways, thoughts?


End file.
